All that I am or hope to be ....

My mom is in town again. It's almost become a joke among my friends, the amount of time my mom spends here. She has a drawer full of clothes, a bag of toiletries and several pairs of shoes she keeps here so that she doesn't even have to pack anymore. My mom is totally in love with her grandbabies and if we ever move to Africa, I am confident she will find a way to make regular visits.

Every mother/daughter has their own story and their own unique relationship. I can honestly say that my mom is one of my best friends and I have no idea how I would get along in this life without her. It wasn't always that way of course. Growing up we had a pretty normal parent/child relationship. I did something wrong, she disciplined, I did it again, she disciplined again. My mom always held "family meetings" which seemed to happen a few times a week and always seemed quite long to me. I remember several of those "meetings" sitting on the couch just dying to get out of there, desperate to do anything but sit and talk with my family. I am so glad she forced me into them. My family is one of communicators, we probably over communicate most of the time, but we always want to know each others hearts and make sure everyone is heard.

My teen years were rough. Like most teenagers, I didn't need or want the help of anyone, especially my mom. My parents went through a 4-year divorce that started when I was a freshman in high school and finally ended when I was a senior. It was ugly and I really didn't like either of them.

During college I managed to grow up a little and I realized that my mom might actually know a thing or two. I started seeking her for advice and better yet, I actually listened.

As a child my mom was the person who kissed my owies, played tea party with me and as I got older, comforted me after broken relationships. My mom is still the person I call for advice although now it's about raising babies and being a wife. She's the person I call when Dave is deployed and I want to cry. She's the person who prays with me at any hour. She's the person who helps me redecorate my house when I get bored with its current look. She's the person who believes in me and still tells me I can do anything. She's the person who gets on the next flight out when I call during a deployment saying I am having a nervous breakdown. And when she comes she amazes me. She serves me and us in any way she can find. She cleans, does laundry (in fact during one trip she spent 2 days at the laundry mat with me, happy as can be, folding away), she takes me out for a pedicure, she buys me the item that is not on sale because I refuse to buy it for myself, she plays with my girls, rocks them in the middle of the night when they are crying and I can't figure out what is wrong, she gets up at 6am to come get the baby so I can keep sleeping; the woman is amazing! I truly could go on and on about how fantastic she is and all that she does. So, yes, my mom is in town again, I think it's the 7th (or so) visit this year. I love having her here and she is always welcome. She has helped shaped me into who I am and I hope to be as caring, loving and open with my children as she is with us.